


Coffee Date (Redux)

by enogk07



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Breakup, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-07-08 17:50:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15935339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enogk07/pseuds/enogk07
Summary: Logan is back in town for the weekend, and decides to catch up with his college boyfriend Virgil. [REVISED REPOST OF A STORY THAT I WROTE EARLIER]





	Coffee Date (Redux)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Coffee Date](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14785262) by [enogk07](https://archiveofourown.org/users/enogk07/pseuds/enogk07). 



Virgil Sanders sat down at a Starbucks table one rainy afternoon and set his umbrella down below the seat. He checked his phone for the millionth time to confirm that he'd gotten the date and time right, and looked around the shop nervously.

Suddenly, he got a text. _'Hey! Sorry I'm running late, but I'll be there in one minute, I promise!'_

_'Alright, take your time! I'm sitting down near the window.'_

He returned his phone to his pocket and took a few deep breaths as he waited for his ex to arrive. Logan had moved away six months ago after he got offered a job at NASA, but he was back in Oregon for the week for his sister's wedding, and had told Virgil he wanted to meet up for some reason.

Virgil rubbed his arm and tried to straighten up as he tried to plan just what he was going to tell his successful ex. What had Virgil been up to, anyway? Running his teeny yoga and meditation studio? Spending time with his dogs? Had he even read any books since Logan had left? Suddenly this meeting didn't sound like such a good idea after all...

But just then, a tap on the shoulder served to pull Virgil out of his head. He spun around to see Logan standing in front of him, grinning.

"Hey, Virge, how are you?" Logan asked cheerfully, giving him a one-armed hug.

"Oh, I'm doing pretty well! How about you?" Virgil asked. He forced a smile and stood up as the two got in line.

"I'm great! The wedding was really nice yesterday," Logan replied warmly. "Liz is really happy."

"Hey, well, good for her!" Virgil replied. Logan nodded, and Virgil lowered his head. At a loss for anything else to say, Virgil sighed and gazed out the window. But then he perked up.

"Well, hey, at least it wasn't raining like this during the ceremony!" he pointed out.

Logan nodded. "Oh, definitely. But no, the weather was actually amazing! Good thing, too. It rained a lot in the days before too, so they were super lucky."

Virgil smiled and nodded, but cursed himself internally. _Really? The weather? That's the best you could come up with?_

They had reached the front of the line then and ordered their drinks, and then they returned to their table in the corner of the building.

"So...how is life at NASA?" Virgil finally asked, trying to sound upbeat.

Logan's eyes sparkled. "Oh my gosh, Virgil, it's the greatest thing. Seriously, I get to spend all my days looking at the stars and helping humanity get closer to actually reaching them! It's...I mean, it's amazing, really."

Virgil gave a half smile. "That sounds pretty cool! And how is the progress on space travel looking these days, anyway?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to say anything for certain, but I think some pretty big things could be happening in the next ten or twenty years."

"Aw, well I'm sure your work will only help make--"

"Logan?" the barista called out just then.

Logan turned around and put his finger up. "Sorry, Virge, hold that thought."

He got up to get his drink, and moments later Virgil's order was ready as well. But after a few minutes, the two had settled down again. Logan peered over at Virgil's cup, and the latter perked up because he knew what was coming.

"Well...cheers, Vergal!" Logan said after a moment.

Virgil giggled. "Cheers...Login!" he replied, squinting at Logan's own cup. The two laughed and tapped their cups together, and Virgil finally lowered his shoulders.

A simple inside joke. That was all it took to break the ice.

"So anyway, back to NASA," Virgil persisted. "Do you work with a lot of people, or are you alone most days?"

"Oh, it definitely varies depending on the day! Sometimes I'm working with other researchers in the lab, but other times I'm working on my own stuff. I'm actually hoping to get a grant soon to build a new type of lens to help telescopes see further."

"Oh, really?" Virgil leaned in. "That sounds cool! How would the new lenses do that, theoretically?"

"Well, the type of plastic they use for most telescopes now is good with regards to giving a clear picture, but because it doesn't always bend well we can't necessarily zoom in as much as we might like to," Logan explained. "What I'm hoping to do is to create a new type of plastic that's not too reflective but is still more bendable so that we can see things more up close."

Virgil raised his eyebrows, genuinely impressed. "Wow, designing a new plastic? That sounds incredible."

"Well sure, I've gotta do something with my chemistry minor, right? But anyway, enough about me. What have you been up to?" he asked, leaning in.

Virgil's stomach dropped. He couldn't avoid it any longer. "Oh, me? Um, not much. Just living life as usual," he mumbled, swinging his feet.

Logan tilted his head. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Nothing special, really," Virgil said. He looked off to the side and sipped his drink.

Logan stared down, unsure of how to react to his ex's sudden change in temperament. Finally he spoke up.

"Well, I know last time I heard from you, you were talking about opening up a yoga studio. How is that going?" he asked cautiously.

Virgil looked up. "Oh, I mean, it's going well. I have almost twenty students in total now."

"Wow, really? Well, that sure sounds like something. That's great!" Logan enthused. "So, is it an all-day thing, or...?"

"Yeah, I have three different classes right now, at ten, two, and four three times a week," Virgil said. He was still rubbing his arm and looking off to the side, but at least he was speaking more clearly. "All adults right now but I don't know, I may think about changing that."

"Well, it sounds like it's worth considering! I could definitely see you working with kids," Logan said warmly.

"Yeah?" Virgil said shyly, meeting Logan's eyes for once.

"Oh, totally! You've always been good with kids. But I'm sure the adults you're teaching are grateful for your help as well," he added.

"I guess they are, yeah," Virgil acknowledged. "They're a pretty interesting bunch."

"Haha, yeah, I can imagine. Well, hey, in any case, it sounds like things are going great for you!"

Virgil looked down again, and peered back up at him skeptically. Logan frowned. "What?"

"I guess I just..." Virgil began. But his voice got caught, and he reached for his drink instead, sipping the rest of it down through trembling lips.

Logan glanced around the shop, and reached his hand out. "Hey, let's go for a walk, alright?" he said gently.

Virgil drew a quivering breath and took his drink, and the two ventured back outside, where it had stopped raining. Logan put a hand on Virgil's shoulder as the two turned the corner.

"So, what makes you so skeptical that your life is going well?" Logan asked after giving Virgil a few minutes to collect himself. "It sounds like you have a nice, low-key job that you're good at and that people appreciate you for! For a twenty-five-year-old I'd say that's pretty impressive, wouldn't you?"

"I mean, I don't make enough to move out. I still live with my parents. I don't read or do anything interesting with my spare time, and above all else, the work that I am doing isn't going to change the world like yours is."

"Well, is a life like mine one that you want?" Logan pointed out.

"I--no, I guess not, but what does that say about me, then? I'm just not interesting enough as a person to have any big plans or ideas. That's why we broke up in the first place, remember?" he said, and power-walked to get away.

But Logan pulled him back and dragged him over to a nearby bench. Virgil sat down reluctantly.

"Hold on now, what was that last part?" Logan asked, brow furrowed.

Virgil turned to look at him long enough to shrug, and then stared at his feet. "I'm sorry," he choked out. "That was unnecessary."

"No, I just..." Logan fumbled. "I think you may have misunderstood some things."

"How so?" Virgil asked, looking straight ahead.

"Virgil...look, this whole yoga studio thing is exactly what you've always wanted. You love yoga. It's one of the first things you told me back in freshman year seven years ago, remember?"

"Well, yeah, because we were stuck doing obnoxious icebreakers at orientation, but go on," Virgil said. But he couldn't help giggling at the memory.

"Okay, yeah. But you've still always loved it, and you're a natural teacher. So I couldn't think of a better career choice for you. But beyond that, Oregon is undoubtedly where you belong. You're meant to be in a small town with a low-key job. That doesn't make you uninteresting, it's just a part of who you are.

"And don't think that because you're not furthering space travel that your work isn't important," Logan went on. "I've seen firsthand just how much yoga has helped you manage your anxiety, and I'm certain that you're helping at least some of your clients gain the same skills. That counts for something. Really."

"I guess I never thought about it like that," Virgil admitted.

Logan nodded. "Well, it's true! And you know what else? I could never do the kinds of things that you do. Things like patience and compassion are skills in and of themselves."

"So...you left me behind six months ago because you wanted me to do what I was good at?" Virgil said slowly.

Logan frowned. "Well, I don't know if I would phrase it like that. It's not about my goals or your goals--it's about both of them. It's about doing what's best in the long term so that we can both become the best versions of ourselves we can be. So if you want to put it like that, I guess that's why I broke up with you." He tilted his head. "What did you think the situation was?"

"I don't know, maybe you not caring about me?" Virgil finally burst out. "All you've ever done is work and all you ever care about is work. And you just said so yourself, you weren't able to get what you wanted out of life until I was out of the way," he confessed.

Now Logan had pulled back a little in shock. "Out of the way? I...Virgil, you were never in my way." He took his ex's hands. "The nature of my job is very...high-stress, and it requires the vast majority of my focus. So did my major. But...that was never a reflection of how much I cared about you. Ever. Not once."

"I mean, I'm happy for you," Virgil said. "Don't get me wrong. I kinda feel like a jerk now because I haven't really been acting like it. I am. It's just that...I miss you sometimes."

"I miss you too," Logan said quietly. "And Patton, and Roman, and everyone else from back at school. Moving across the country was not easy for me. And you know what? Lots of times my life is really lonely."

"So why are you doing it then?" Virgil whined.

"Because I know it's what I want in the long run, and I know it will be worth it," Logan explained again. "Not because it's any easier for me."

Virgil nodded and looked straight ahead, but Logan pulled him back and hugged him. Virgil accepted the hug, and let his tears fall once again.

"So...now what?" Virgil asked when they had separated.

"Well," Logan said, checking his phone, "in a few minutes I'm going to head out and go to the airport, and leave Oregon feeling sad that I can't stay but happy that I got to see my best friend for a couple hours. And on Monday I'll go back to work and continue altering the course of history, and you'll go back to work and continue improving the lives of individuals, and then one day we'll meet again. Okay?" he asked. He stood up and extended his hand.

Virgil nodded and leaned in for one last hug. 

"Okay."


End file.
